Organizational Mortality in the Anti-Drunk-Driving Movement: Failure among Local MADD Chapters

Organizational mortality among chapters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) was studied following the initial data collection. Results show that performance in attaining program goals was not related to subsequent failure. However, the chapter officer's dependence on the central office for direction and the inability to engage successfully in cooperative action programs were related to failure. Chapters also demonstrated the need to attract a following of drunk-driving victims and others in the community to avoid failure. Results point to the importance of chapters developing their own independent activist agenda as part of the organizational adaptation that avoids failure. Two population characteristics of countries were controlled and failure was positively influenced by population size and negatively influenced by percentage college educated.